Table 1 Baseline and covariate distributions in the EPIC cohort: overall, for premature deaths (prior to age 70 years), and by sex

Age at baseline, years

40–50

67,229

25

1597

13

21,270

23

45,959

27

50–60

124,557

47

7302

61

44,441

48

80,116

47

60–70

64,640

24

3031

25

23,492

25

41,148

24

Smoking

Never smoker

121,743

46

3365

28

26,462

29

95,281

55

Former smoker

79,391

30

3489

29

37,967

41

41,424

24

Current smoker

63,772

24

5076

43

28,358

31

35,414

21

Blood pressure

Normal

54,935

21

1793

15

11,253

12

43,682

25

Pre-hypertension

102,263

39

4023

34

35,844

39

66,419

39

Hypertension 1

72,429

27

3711

31

30,481

33

41,948

24

Hypertension 2

35,279

13

2403

20

15,209

16

20,070

12

BMI (kg/m²)

< 20

12,001

5

665

6

1447

2

10,554

6

20–21.9

30,376

11

1244

10

5443

6

24,933

14

22–24.9 (reference)

77,680

29

3127

26

24,984

27

52,696

31

25–29.9 (overweight)

103,379

39

4602

39

46,392

50

56,987

33

30–34.9 (obese)

32,270

12

1672

14

12,391

13

19,879

12

35+ (very obese)

9200

3

620

5

2130

2

7070

4

Waist-to-hip ratio

(sex-specific fifths)

1

57,336

22

1960

16

19,000

20

38,336

22

2

52,688

20

2102

18

21,985

24

30,703

18

3

59,966

23

2372

20

18,517

20

41,449

24

4

45,066

17

2200

18

14,844

16

30,222

18

5

49,850

19

3296

28

18,441

20

31,409

18

Alcohol intake (drinks/day)

0

32,826

12

1598

13

5941

6

26,885

16

0–0.5

78,871

30

3054

26

16,748

18

62,123

36

0.5–1

42,158

16

1580

13

13,255

14

28,903

17

1–2

50,904

19

2073

17

20,550

22

30,354

18

2–6

52,468

20

2741

23

29,860

32

22,608

13

> 6 (women), 6–10 (men)

6683

3

690

6

5437

6

1246

1

> 10 (men)

996

0

194

2

996

1

0

0

Diet

Unhealthy

22,346

8

1746

15

12,617

14

9729

6

Moderately unhealthy

112,965

43

5792

49

48,238

52

64,727

38

Moderately healthy

77,110

29

2800

23

20,515

22

56,595

33

Healthy

52,485

20

1592

13

11,417

12

41,068

24

Physical activity

Inactive

61,771

23

3155

26

18,658

20

43,113

25

Moderately inactive

88,907

34

3753

31

29,062

31

59,845

35

Moderately active

60,548

23

2531

21

22,015

24

38,533

22

Active

53,680

20

2491

21

23,052

25

30,628

18

All

10,524

100

469

100

3899

100

6625

100

Total to HDL cholesterol ratio

(sex-specific fourths)

< 3.79 (men), < 3.09 (women)

2530

24

73

16

933

24

1597

24

3.79–4.64 (men), 3.09–3.76 (women)

2531

24

96

20

921

24

1610

24

4.64–5.73 (men), 3.76–4.69 (women)

2517

24

118

25

920

24

1597

24

5.73 + (men), 4.69 + (women)

2503

24

159

34

923

24

1580

24

missing

443

4

23

5

202

5

241

4

Glycated haemoglobin (%) (sex-specific fourths)

< 5.26

3121

30

120

26

1154

30

1967

30

5.26–5.54 (men), 5.26–5.44 (women)

2543

24

100

21

1156

30

1387

21

5.54–5.72 (men), 5.44–5.72 (women)

2354

22

96

20

619

16

1735

26

5.72 +

2399

23

142

30

934

24

1465

22

missing

107

1

11

2

36

1

71

1